Sounds and Ringtones

iPhone ringtones can be customized easily thanks to iTunes, but what file format does Apple actually use to store ringtones? Aside from the file extension, iOS ringtones are the same as .m4a files.

iPhone owners can make their own custom ringtones with iTunes or even convert a Voice Memo into a ringtone. But how long is too long when it comes to ringtone files?

Apple limits all ringtone files to 40 seconds. Any ringtones longer than this limit will not sync to an iOS device using iTunes.

Default settings on the iPhone with iOS 5 or iOS 6 installed are set up so that when an incoming text or MMS message arrives, the device reminds you with two alerts. This repeated alert every 2 minutes can make sure you know a message came in, or it can be really annoying as you think the iPhone is receiving multiple SMS alerts in a row.

To switch off these reminder alerts, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Settings -> Notifications -> Messages
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap Repeat Alert
3. Select how many times you want to be reminded of each text message

Some iPhone owners have had their ring/silent switch stop working. In some cases the switch gets stuck on ring, which means that entering silent mode requires special workarounds to fix. In other cases, the switch gets stuck on mute, which means your iPhone will only vibrate or be silent depending on the settings.

You can filter out unwanted texts by assigning a silent text tone to specific contacts in your list. You can also set a silent text tone as the default and use normal text tones for people you want to hear text messages from.

The iPhone comes with a silent text tone. You will find this under Settings -> Sounds -> Text Tone -> None. You can set this silent text tone for specific contacts or as the default on your iPhone.